AO executives: Djokovic to get vaccinated or he won't be able to chase his 21st Grand Slam at Melbourne

Martin Pakula, sports minister of Australian state of Victoria (where Melbourne is located), has warned players they face losing the chance to play at Australian Open if they're unvaccinated.

Or - if they are allowed to appear without taking 'the jab', they will be forced to obey and work with tough restrictions throughout the tournament.

'If I was an ATP or WTA player, I'd be getting vaccinated,' Pakula told SEN. 'That will give them the best opportunity to play in the Australian Open with the more minimal restrictions that might be in place for those people.'

At the end of August this year, ahead of the US Open - around 50 per cent of WTA and ATP tour players had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Tennis Australia has yet to reveal detailed plans around how the players will arrive for the summer of tennis, and what rules will apply for them in Melbourne.

The Victorian government this month introduced a vaccine requirement for authorised workers, which includes professional sportspeople.

The mentioned health regulations in the state of Victoria could rule current world No.1 Novak Djokovic out of participating in the Grand Slam tournament he has won most times thus far. And with that - preventing him from becoming the outright record holder for most grand slam titles.

The trio Djokovic - Rafael Nadal - Roger Federer holds the record of 20 grand slam wins, but the Serbian ace would start as hot favourite to make it 21 in January - given he has won a record nine finals at Melbourne Park. That is if he is allowed to play at the tournament.

'I'm opposed to vaccination, and I wouldn't want to be forced by someone to take a vaccine in order to be able to travel,' the Serbian superstar said in April 2020 and made clear his intentions on vaccination.

Players have been able to travel around the world freely for the majority of the season but were required to undertake two weeks quarantine ahead of this year's Australian Open.

Victoria sports minister said it was too early to say how governments and tennis authorities dealt with unvaccinated tennis players from overseas.

'Whether or not unvaccinated people are allowed in (to Australia) at all, I don't know the answer to that yet,' Pakula said. 'That's going to be the subject, I suspect, of discussion at national cabinet and amongst the federal cabinet.

'As for the rules that might apply around the Australian Open, specifically, we're in discussions with Tennis Australia and the department of health about that.'